GIS To Probe Alleged Collaboration With Criminals

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says even though it doubts the veracity of certain audio recordings being circulated on social media to the effect that Customs and Immigration officials at the Kotoka International Airport are in dubious collaboration with some criminals, to whom they relay personal information provided on Embarkation and Disembarkation cards by passengers, the service will still investigate the matter. �Much as the service doubts the veracity of the claim, the GIS would still go ahead to investigate the matter, and any officers found culpable would be handed over to the police since the matter borders on criminality,� a statement signed by ACOI Francis Palmdeti, Head of Public Affairs of GIS, said. The statement emphasised that the GIS appreciates the benefit of social media when it comes to extensive dissemination of information. According to the statement, GIS, however, does not appreciate the dissemination of unverified and unsubstantiated information sent out via these mediums because they could be irreparably damaging to the reputation of an individual, a group, a corporate body, and in some cases a nation. �After listening carefully to the audio recording, one is inclined to believe that the author of the audio did not intend to engage in mass circulation, but was cautioning a particular person or persons about �information� she had received from Ghana and Washington about a particular unverified incident at Dansoman in Accra,� it stated. According to the statement, it must be noted that this piece of information is not coming from the Ghana Police Service, neither is it coming from the Bureau of National Investigations, and therefore is of doubtful credibility. It explained that personal information taken by GIS officials at the points of entry and exit are legal requirements and, therefore, any person who deliberately puts down false information on the cards with the intention of misinforming border officials would be breaking the law, and thereby liable to suffer the sanctions which go with it. The statement said officials of the GIS are noted in the sub-region for their high sense of professionalism, thus they would not engage in acts that would compromise the confidentiality of information provided by travellers. �Any information received by the service from individuals is used only for the purpose for which they were obtained and nothing else. �The GIS, therefore, wishes to re-emphasise its mission of delivering excellence in migration management for national development. �We wish to reassure the general public of our professional commitment to deliver on our mandate as expected of us,� it said.